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Jolson 101
Jolson's Musicals: Stage and Screen
Compiled by John Kenrick

(Copyright 2003)

Flyer for BomboA flyer for Jolson's Winter Garden hit Bombo, which kept him busy from Sept. 1921 though May 1924.

Unlike other stage and screen stars, Jolson performed exclusively in musicals. This list includes every Stage (in black) or Screen (in brown) musical Al Jolson appeared in. For a comprehensive listing of Jolson's thousands of vaudeville, screen, and radio performances, see Herbert G. Goldman's Jolson: The Legend Comes to Life (Oxford University Press, NY, 1988).


1908-1909
Stage: Lew Dockstader's Minstrels

National Tour
Role: Endman

(August 1908 - Dec. 1909)
Jolson sang solos, told jokes and appeared in skits

1911
Stage: La Belle Paree

The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Erastus Sparkler
(March 20, 1911 - 104 perfs.)

(Toured July - Nov. 1911)

Stage: Vera Violetta
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Claude, a waiter
(Nov. 20, 1911 - 112 perfs.)

1912
Stage: A Night With the Pierrots
and The Whirl of Society

The Winter Garden, New York
Roles: The Humpback and Gus, a butler
(March 5, 1912 - 136 perfs.)

(Toured Sept. 1912 - Jan. 1913)

1913
Stage: The Honeymoon Express

The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus, a butler
(Feb. 6, 1913 - 156 perfs.)

(Toured Sept. 1913 - April 1914)

1914-1915
Stage: Dancing Around

The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus, a man of many parts
(Oct. 10, 1914 - 145 perfs.)

(Toured Feb. 1915 - Dec. 1915)

1916-1917
Stage: Robinson Crusoe, Jr.

The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus Jackson
(Feb. 17, 1916 - 139 perfs.)

(Toured Aug. 1916 - Nov. 1917)

1918-1919
Stage: Sinbad

The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus
(Feb. 14, 1918 - 164 perfs.)

(Toured Mar. 1919 - June 1921)

1921-1924
Stage: Bombo

Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, New York
Role: Gus
(Oct. 6, 1921 - 213 perfs.)

(Toured April 1922 - May 1924)

1925-1927
Stage: Big Boy

Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus
(Jan. 7, 1925 - 48 perfs.)
(Aug. 24, 1925 - 120 perfs.)

(Toured Dec. 1925 - July 1927)

1926
Film: Plantation Act

Warner Brothers

Jolson appeared in this one reel talkie singing several of his standards, including "Rock-a-bye Your Baby."

1927
Film: The Jazz Singer

Warner Brothers
Role: Jack Robin

1928
Film: The Singing Fool

Warner Brothers
Role: Al Stone

1929
Film: Say It With Songs

Warner Brothers
Role: Joe Lane

1930
Film: Mammy

Warner Brothers
Role: Al Fuller

1930
Film: Big Boy

Warner Brothers
Role: Gus

1931-1932
Stage: The Wonder Bar

Nora Bayes Theatre, New York
Role: Monsieur Al Wonder
(Mar. 17, 1931 - 86 perfs.)

(Toured Sept. 1931 - April 1932)

1933
Film: Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

United Artists
Role: Bumper

1934
Film: Wonder Bar

Warner Brothers
Role: Al Wonder

1935
Film: Go Into Your Dance

Warner Brothers
Role: Al Howard

1936
Film: The Singing Kid

Warner Brothers
Role: Al Jackson

1939
Film: Rose of Washington Square

20th Century Fox
Role: Ted Cotter

1939
Film: Hollywood Cavalcade

20th Century Fox
Role: Himself

1939
Film: Swanee River

20th Century Fox
Role: E.P. Christy

1940-1941
Stage: Hold On To Your Hats

Shubert Theatre, New York
Role: The Lone Rider
(Sept. 11 1940 - 158 perfs.)

(Toured Aug. - Nov. 1941)

1945
Film: Rhapsody in Blue

Warner Brothers
Role: Himself

1945
Film: The Jolson Story

Columbia
Role: Himself (Voice only)
Note:
Jolson does appear as himself in one brief long shot during the song "Swanee" -- but the rest of the visual performance is by actor Larry Parks.

1945
Film: Jolson Sings Again

Columbia
Role: Himself (Voice only)
Note:
Again, Larry Parks provided the body & the acting -- with very entertaining results.

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